Doing All Right

Distractions

Brian
"Thanks, Miss," I step out of the library. I had to pick up a book for this project for maths class, we're doing the history of advanced calculus and trigonometry. Now that I have the actual project out of the way, I really have to find a way to release stress from it. I have to work with a boy named Roger Taylor, and he is the type of person you'd expect to bag your groceries at the market. He's not an idiot, he actually has some funny smart-ass comments. He just... doesn't do anything. Nothing I see, anyway. He just copies from the board for notes, and doesn't work ahead. He's constantly getting homework packets, and I would bet £15 that he hasn't done one of them. And yet... he's not entirely annoying. He's somewhat of a popular, where I'm a nerd type. Roger's friends with practically everyone, and you'd expect him to have a girlfriend. But nope. The famous Taylor doesn't even date, surprisingly. I don't either, but what with practicing my guitar and all the studying I do for astrology, I barely have time to make a proper dinner.

I plop myself down at a table outside with my lunch. The food's not terrible, but it's not good either. The chips are soggy, and the salads are... floppy. How do you even get a floppy salad? It's just lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, and cucumber! Most days I grab a water and a crisp packet. Today's not any different, water bottle with a packet of cheese crisps. But this time, I grabbed a carrot package. They're not too bad, them. I'm just about to take a sip of water when a boy flumps down opposite me. "Hey there." I wave and swallow. "Hello. Have you got a textbook or your rubric?" Roger shakes his head. "I don't think I got one." Figured. "Well, I grabbed an extra for you, you're welcome," I take out the two rubrics and slide one across to Roger. Someone's got to be the responsible one.

I reach for my crisps and pop one in. "So, I thought we could divide the research portion up into halves, sound okay?" Roger nodded, and looked down at his rubric sheet. Thankfully, it contained the outline requirements for the report, because I don't think he paid attention. "Which one do you want to do, I can do either one." I expect him to suggest that we each do a bit of both, to make it easier. But what he said surprised me. "I'll take advanced calculus." "Really, are you sure? That's the hard one, trig is easier," I didn't expect him to take calculus. But at the rate his marks are, we'll fail. "I know; I'm actually quite good at calculus. I learned the basics in primary school, and took a side class in secondary." Well then. I decided to ease the tension, it was clear that this boy was a tad nervous. I nudged him from across the table. "Ooh! Somebody's a neerrrddd," I sang. I stopped though, I'm not a very nice singer. Roger, however, began to smile for the first time all lunch. He began scribbling things down on his paper, and I got a good look at him. He's a few inches shorter than me, but then again, everyone is. He's built quite broad shouldered and yet, I'm sitting across from a string bean. He's incredibly skinny, even more so than me. And I'm quite thin for my height. I shoved the last of my crisps in, and ate a couple carrots. I decided to ask him a question.

"Hey, Roger?" "Hm?" "Can I ask you something?" The boy looked up at me, and I couldn't read his expression. "How much do you weigh?" He blinked and looked at me strangely. "I'm a bit less than 8 1/2 stone. Why?" I didn't have an answer for him. "How tall are you?" "I'm 177.8 centimeters... Why do you ask?" "Just a health class report.." I did the calculations in my head, and he is about 10 pounds underweight! For some reason, that worries me, like I'm his mother or something. It's just that this cute kid- no. That's not okay to think, what are you thinking? You can't like him, or boys at all. Whatever, just get back to the conversation.

A/N- those of yo who are in the U.K, did I get the centimeters and stone thing right? I'm an American, so I had to use a calculator hehe. Irl, roger is 5'10" and 133 pounds, but the underweight thing is necessary for this book, so that's why. Plz give me tips for seeing things like in the uk, I'm really lost. K love y'all bye